


Definitely, maybe

by Its_Ours_And_Its_Everything



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cercei's a Baratheon because I can't be bothered with incest, Definitely Maybe AU, Friends to Lovers, I mean come on, Lots and lots of Pining, Multi, Of course I named their kid Joanna
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-23 12:47:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19701667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Its_Ours_And_Its_Everything/pseuds/Its_Ours_And_Its_Everything
Summary: Jaime Lannister is in the middle of divorce proceedings when his young daughter asks him about his life before marriage, including how he met and fell in love with her mother. Jaime flashes back to 1992 and recounts his romances with three women. His daughter must guess which one became his wife and her mother.A 'Definitely, maybe' movie inspired AU.





	1. Not your typical Friday night

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, whoever you are! Thanks for giving this story a chance.  
> Anyone who's seen the movie knows that the 'mom' and the 'love of protagonist's life' turn out to be completely different women, but that's not the case here ;) The readers will be quick to figure out who Jaime married and who's the mother of his daughter.  
> The plot is very similar to the movie with a few changes. The flashbacks are gonna be in cursive, I don't think it's gonna be hard to separate past from present.  
> Anyway, happy reading!!

_**STARK, TULLY AND CO ATTORNEY'S AT LAW**_ **_TO MR. JAIME LANNISTER_**

**_6589 GRAND AVENUE 1932 WEST END AVENUE_ **

**_WESTEROS, WINTERFELL 10012 WESTEROS, KING'S LANDING 10025_ **

Jaime had been staring at the package on his office desk for more than an hour. He still couldn't bring himself to actually open it. It was inevitable, he knew that and still the moment he would sign his name on the dotted line, one very long chapter of his life would be closing. But where one door closed another opened, wasn't that the old saying? Jaime took a deep breath and ripped the carefully crafted envelope open. All matter of papers flooded his desk, from asset distribution and alimony payments to shared custody agreements. Every one of them indicating the end of his marriage.

**JUDGEMENT OF DIVORCE**

_Approved as to form and content; signature of plaintiff:_

__**Brienne Tarth-Lannister** __

_Signature of defendant:_

Jaime Lannister didn't think anyone on their wedding day ever imagined that they'd be part of the 46% that didn't actually get to live happily ever after. Then again he'd never thought he'd be spending his days, weeks and years working in his father's company and taking over as a de facto CEO of LannisterCorp. As it turned out life had a funny way of working itself out. The dreams once had at school and college got trumped by reality or just very unfortunate chain of events.

Jaime kept staring at the dotted line, still he couldn't bring himself to sign it. Because once he did it would be over. He would be out of her life officially. _Wasn't that what you wanted?_ He thought bitterly. Well, to be fair even though Brienne was the one to initiate these proceedings he hadn't done much to sway her decision. Things hadn't been working for a while, but for a long time they thought they shouldn't give up that easily, they believed they owed it to their daughter to try and glue back together something that seemed to break long ago. Jaime's gaze shifted from the papers to a framed photograph of a golden haired, blue eyed, smiling girl. Joanna Lannister was the apple of Jaime's eye, his little sapphire lion cub warrior, for someone who's 11 she was uncharacteristically intelligent, her sapphire blue eyes always glinting with mischief. Just like her mother's had when they were young. She was the best parts of Brienne and him. It wasn't surprising to believe they actually made someone so pure and innocent. After all Jaime hadn't met a more honest, loyal and more importantly good person than his wife.

In the past couple of months Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays had become Jaime's favourite days. He got to leave work early and went to pick up his daughter, Joanna, from school. As per the arrangement with his soon to be ex-wife, they both agreed that spending equal time with Joanna was crucial, they were trying to make as little changes in their daughter's life as possible. She needed stability and just because mom and dad weren't living together anymore didn't mean things were going to be different where Joanna was concerned. At least that's what Jaime told his daughter when she had asked.

A sharp knock drew Jaime back to reality. "Just heard we managed to snatch the Martell account. Way to go. Father dearest will be pleased." Jaime's younger brother Tyrion sauntered into his office and got comfortable in one of the plush chairs.

"We didn't snatch anything. Oberyn was willing to hear my proposal and he seemed to agree that combining our efforts would be beneficial to both Martells and Lannisters."

"Well, you can't say dornish don't love their money...or wine, of course." The younger Lannister's gaze got stuck on the scattered divorce papers, but he remained silent.

"What? Got nothing to say?" Jaime inquired, an ironic smile plastered on his face.

Tyrion only raised his brows. "Of course I do. Don't know how much good it would do though."

"I don't want to hear it."

"That's why I wasn't going to mention it. Not until we had something to drink at least."

"Good. I'm leaving to pick up Joanna. Will you be coming over later?" He asked before sticking the papers back into the envelope and putting the package in his desk drawer. _I'll sign them on Monday_ he promised himself.

"Of course. Like I'd miss an opportunity to see my niece." Tyrion had a beaming smile on his face. That's the effect his daughter had on mostly everyone.

As he was leaving the office Tyrion's voice stopped Jaime in his tracks. "You still love her, don't you?" Jaime could only take a deep breath and try to shake off the feeling that always came over him when he was thinking about his wife.

"Can't imagine the day I won't." He answered, voice full of sorrow.

**~*~*~*~*~**

Jaime thought of himself as a dependable and always prepared guy. He was good on his feet that's what had made him such a good political consultant back in the day, and it came in handy with his current establishment of employ. But nothing could have prepared Jaime for what he encountered once he walked through the gates of Joanna's school. The courtyard was full of kids and parents alike. Most of the kids were either screaming profanities or hysterically crying, while the parents looked like they wanted to be anywhere but there. Jaime's eyes caught Samwell and Gilly Tarly who were trying to calm down their son Sam. He decided to cautiously approach the couple and try to get some insight into this circus. He hadn't found Joanna yet and it made him more anxious than probably necessary.

"Hey, what's going on?" Jaime asked as soon as he was within earshot of the pair.

Gilly seemed to be mortified to even utter the words out loud. "Gods, Jaime did you know there was going to be a sex ed class today?"

To say Jaime was surprised was an understatement "Aren't they a little young?"

"Yeah! It was a total disaster." Gilly's pointed look at her son who was clinging to her legs and crying was a clear picture of how that class had gone for most of these kids.

"At least it got them reading?" Samwell Tarly tried to offer while pointing to a closely huddled circle of kids who were standing over, what was appeared to be, a text book.

Their loud voices carried to Jaime and his companions. "The 250 million sperm are ejaculated and begin their treacherous journey towards the fallopian tubes. One hundred million are wiped out instantly..."

That was the moment Jaime decided he should probably find Joanna. And do it quickly. "I'm gonna go..."

Before taking a few steps to get closer to the school building he heard a little girl, who seemed to be Shireen Baratheon scream "Do you still have sex with mommy? You do, don't you?"

Stannis Baratheon seemed like he wouldn't mind being swallowed up whole. "We will go home and talk about—"

"Oh gods, oh gods" Shireen seemed to be on the edge of a breakdown and Stannis dragged her out before things got even more embarrassing.

"We need to talk." Jaime turned around to his daughters voice. Her raised eyebrows didn't promise anything good. In this light she looked so much like her mother. Already a foot taller than other girls her age, Joanna could be quite intimidating if she actually tried.

Before going straight home, Jaime took Joanna to get ice cream. He thought she deserved a treat after the chaos she had to go through today. For all her bravado about having a talk his daughter stayed silent for most of their journey.

She decided to break the silence when Jaime was paying for the ice cream. "So, when a man removes his penis from his pajamas and thrusts it into a woman's vagina—"

Jaime gave an apologetic smile to the poor cashier who looked like her eyes were about to burst from her eye sockets before handing Joanna her ice cream and speed walking them further from the ice cream stand. "Did Miss. Tyrell really say 'thrust'? "

"Yeah."

"Oh." He wasn't really sure how to approach the whole subject. He knew eventually Joanna would've to have the birds & the bees talk. He just expected Brienne to be the one to deal with this. But she wasn't here and Joanna was spending the day with him.

Joanna didn't seem to share his worries because she kept on talking. "But what I don't understand is, Jon's half sister Arya said he was an accident. I mean, how do you accidentally thrust a penis into...Oh hi, Mr. Seaworth."

"Hello, miss Joanna." She eagerly waved to their doorman who shared an amused smile with an exasperated Jaime.

"Honey, stop saying penis and thrust. Just say tinkle part or wee-wee. You know, something cute." Jaime in his mind was already writing a very long letter to Margaery Tyrell's superiors. What in the name of the seven made her think this was a good idea?

"Explain how Jon was an accident." Her deep blue eyes were so full of wonder.

"Uh...well, it's not like his dad slipped on a banana peel. The accident was that Jon's mom got pregnant." Jaime was trying his best, he really was.

Joanna scrunched up her face in confusion. "If they didn't want to have a baby, how come they had sex?"

"That's a very good question. I guess you could say they were rehearsing?" He wasn't sure what was leaving his mouth, but this was the best he had.

The little girl stayed quiet while they were riding in the elevator, she was clearly contemplating something. "Was...was I an accident?" She looked up at Jaime with unshed tears in her blue eyes.

"No!"

"I was, wasn't I?"

Jaime crouched down to his daughter's level and looked her straight in the eyes. "Of course not. You were completely and totally on purpose. I knew exactly what I was getting into."

The smile that graced his daughter's face as she skipped to his apartment made that statement 100% more true.

_**~*~*~*~*~** _

Jaime was cleaning up in the kitchen and watching his brother and his daughter from the corner of his eye. Those two were as thick as thieves, always coming up with ridiculous scenarios and schemes. This time wouldn't prove any different as they were quietly whispering while sending Jaime coy glances from time to time. Joanna had a new doll her uncle had gifted with her at all times. Tyrion truly was spoiling her too much. Especially since the news of the split became common knowledge to their friends and family.

 _I'm trying to distract her with new stuff. You should thank me, brother_ Tyrion had said.

"Wouldn't mind some help with the clean up, guys." He exclaimed before putting away pots and washed cutlery.

"Uncle Tyrion and I think you should tell me the story of you and my mom." Joanna rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a cookie from the counter.

"Why do you keep saying "my mom" like I've never met her?" Jaime tried to change the subject, but not before shooting his brother a death glare.

"Well, because now that you're getting divorced, she's mine, not yours." Joanna stated matter of factly.

"Is that so?"

"Tell me how it happened. The real story, not the "Oh, we met, fell in love and decided to take all that love and make a family. And that's how we made you." Tyrion was barely keeping in the laughter, however, Jaime was not amused.

"I'm gonna tell you the real, true story of how your mother and I met when—"

"When I'm old enough?" The 11 year old interrupted her father before shooting her uncle a 'I've been here before' look.

"Precisely."

"Look. I know love isn't a fairy tale. Uncle Tyrion has been teaching me stuff." As soon as the last word left her small lips her uncle grimaced, avoiding her father's eyes.

"Really?" Jaime wasn't even focused on Joanna. What the hell had Tyrion been saying to her?

"Yes. Like did you have another girlfriend before you met her? Come on, tell me the truth." Joanna pleaded, her very well practiced puppy dog eyes on full display.

"Your dad had two serious girlfriends before your mom. And a smattering of other women that he... _dated_." Tyrion interjected, clearly unaware that Jaime wasn't up for discussing his past lovers with his daughter.

"Wow. What's the boy word for slut?" Joanna exclaimed, her uncle Tyrion finally lost it and started laughing uncontrollably.

"They still haven't come up with one yet, but I'm sure they're working on it." Jaime was going to kill his younger brother. He truly was.

"I'm guessing you weren't her first boyfriend. Maybe it was some nerdy guy, or maybe he was mean. Or maybe you were friends for the longest time, and then just when you were about to put your penis into somebody else's vagina..."

" _Okay_. It's time for bed, Joanna."

"...you realized Mom was the only one for you!" She kept going, ignoring Jaime completely.

Jaime wasn't about to let up "Bedtime! Now say goodbye to uncle Tyrion."

Still grumbling, Joanna dragged her dad and uncle into her bedroom so they could help tuck her in. Uncle Tyrion jumped onto the bed beside her and made himself comfortable. When earlier she asked him to help her out with the mom and dad love story he promised to be of service.

"You still have to tell Joanna the story of why you fell in love with her mom." Tyrion sent a wicked grin Jaime's way. If he had to make his brother relive his youth for him to realize there's no way he could let Brienne go then so be it.

"I fell in love with her because she was intelligent and fierce and exciting." He answered before tucking his daughter in.

Joanna raised her brows. "So now she's stupid and indifferent and boring?"

"Of course not." Jaime rolled his eyes.

"Then what's the problem?" Tyrion asked before sharing a look with his niece. Gods, those two would be the death of Jaime.

"It's complicated."

"Everything with you is so complicated. I bet that if you just told me the story, you'd realize that it's not complicated at all. That you just love her." His daughter answered as stubbornly as ever. Gods, it was like talking to Brienne herself. Joanna might've looked like him, but her characteristics were so much like his wife's.

"Little lion, I know this situation is tough for you, but what are you thinking? That I'm gonna tell you this story and it's gonna make everything better? It doesn't work that way." Jaime wasn't sure how to deal with this. He knew he didn't want Joanna to be upset. But bringing up old ghosts that should stay buried wasn't his idea of a good Friday night.

"Maybe it does or maybe it doesn't. Tell me and we'll find out." She continued to press.

"What do you have to lose, brother? You might just fall in love with your wife all over again." Tyrion's eyes were full of something, something Jaime couldn't place. What was his angle? Did he just want to humour Joanna?

Jaime released a deep sigh. He was going to regret this, wasn't he? "Fine, I'm gonna tell you the story, but I'm not telling you who your mom is."

"Fine."

"You're just gonna have to figure it out for yourself." He warned.

"Good."

"And I'm changing the names and some of the facts. And then we'll see how smart you are." She could see her dad was amused now.

"I like it. It's like a love story-mystery. What do you think uncle, Tyrion?"

"I think this is going to very entertaining." A smile graced his brother's face.

* * *

_Once upon a time, before e-mails and cell phones and reality tv shows, in 1992 to be exact in a town called Casterly Rock there lived a young man named Jaime Lannister. Now, this young man was deeply, deeply in love with his high school sweetheart Cersei Baratheon. They had been together since freshman year of high school and stayed glued to each other's hip all through their college years. To be fair in all those years they had broken up hundreds of times, but they always found their way back to each other. Or that was what Jaime kept telling himself every time he came back to Cersei after one of her jealousy tantrums. Cersei had quite a temper, she was a real control freak and she loved to boss people around as if they were her dolls to do as she pleased with, her boyfriend was no exception. Jaime didn't acknowledge this side of her for a very long time. How goes that saying? Love is blind indeed._ We're two halves of the same whole she used to say. _And it was very easy to take her word for it, he was young, naive and didn't know any better. Jaime was much more besotted with his girlfriend at the time than she ever was with him, but more on that as the story unfolds. It was New Years Eve party, music was playing, alcohol was flowing, people were having a grand time._

_Ten, nine, eight..._

_"Hey, babe guess who's gonna get to kiss the most beautiful woman on planet Earth in about 7 seconds?" Jaime smiled as his strong arms circled Cercei's waist._

_Seven, six, five..._

_"Hmm...you perhaps?" Cersei answered with a sexy smile before taking a sip of champagne._

_Four, three, two, one..._

_"Damn straight." Jaime murmured before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. All kisses with her were hungry and animal like. Before Jaime could pull away and look into her extraordinary emerald eyes, eyes that mirrored his own she drew him closer, biting his lip with more anger than affection._

_!!!HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!_

_They seemed like a perfect couple. To their families, their friends, even themselves. On the surface at least...Things changed when Jaime started taking interest in things Cersei had no intentions of making a part of their lives. In her pretty little picture she saw herself going to law school and Jaime following in her footsteps, Jaime always following...but never branching out or taking the spotlight away from her. Arguments and fights ensued, Jaime finally started pushing back, even though he was still very much in love with his exasperating girlfriend. To really understand how this young man ended up marrying Joanna's mother, you'll also need to know that he had very big dreams. Jaime was interested in politics and various political movements since he started attending Lannisport university alongside Cersei. In hindsight, he probably should've seen the more controlling aspects of their relationship because she begged Jaime to attend the same school as her. Pushing his dreams to attend the famous Dragonstone university of political science in the backseat. At the time Jaime excused her behavior with longing and not wanting to be separated from the love of her life. Plus Lannisport university had a great political major program. It was a win-win. What a love sick idiot, right? Time passed by, they both graduated and were about to start their lives in the real world as accomplished young adults._

_"I just don't understand why you have to work for Rhaegar Targaryen in King's Landing. Why can't you just work with him in Casterly Rock? Or better yet abandon this foolishness and come to Stormlands with me. Working on Robert's campaign would be far more useful than working for that silver haired prick." Cersei was in the middle of her now infamous rant._

_"One: because they don't need help_ here _, Cersei. They need people in King's Landing. Two: you know I support Rhaegar's candidacy for president not Robert's." Every day for the last month they were having the same fight over and over again._

_"UGH. I can't believe you're throwing 8 years worth of relationship out of the window because of some stupid job." If looks could kill Jaime would already be dead._

_"Babe, I'm not throwing anything away. We're doing long distance, remember? It's two months in King's Landing. I'll be back before you know it._ _Besides we have a plan remember?" He attempted to reassure her with a kiss but Cersei broke away._

_"Fine, whatever. It's clear you're putting your needs above mine." Cersei wiped away a few theatrical tears before pushing a package into Jaime's hands. "While you're there you have to give this to Pia."_

_"Pretty Pia?" Jaime exclaimed. She and Cersei were close as teenagers and from what he could remember of her she was quite...forward and promiscuou_ _s w_ _hen it came to opposite sex._

 _"Yeah, the slutty one._ _She's been bugging me for ages to return something." Cersei rolled her eyes. So much for that friendship..._

 _"I'll call you as soon as I land." Jaime held his girlfriend in a long embrace before planting a kiss on her forehead_ _and getting into the taxi._

* * *

"Cersei sounds like she would make a pretty terrible anything, really. I don't think she's my mom." Joanna crinkled her nose, interrupting Jaime's story.

"Why not?" Tyrion asked before sharing a secret smile with his brother.

"Come on, uncle Tyrion. Everyone knows that the girlfriend in the beginning of the story always gets dumped. Which means maybe this Pia is my mother." Joanna was musing out loud, clearly engrossed in the story.


	2. Designs of destiny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys 2nd chapter is here!!  
> Guess, who we are(or Jaime, really is) meeting in this chapter *wink wink*  
> Also Brienne's name is gonna be striked out in flashbacks because Jaime's telling the story to Joanna and he had to change her name or she would immediately realize who's her mom. I didn't want for things to get confusing if I started calling her Adaline. So basically the reader sees Brienne and Joanna hears Adaline lol Does it make sense?

* * *

_Jaime would never forget his first day in King's Landing._ _There he was, arriving in the city he always dreamed about, to work on a campaign he believed in with all his heart._ _Everything was bigger and louder compared to Casterly Rock and he couldn't wait to_ _experience_ _every nook and cranny for himself. And on top of that the moment he stepped into the campaign quarters for Senator Rhaegar Targaryen he was positive that in a few hours, the campaign manager would_ _realize how brilliant he was. And then Jaime would be writing speeches, coming up with strategies and before long...maybe meeting the man himself. The dream, however, didn't go completely as planned. The moment he introduced himself Jaime was thrust a paper list with coffee and bagel orders into his hands._

_"You want me to get coffee?" He had exclaimed, this clearly must've been a rookie joke._

_"Listen, kid" A plump, middle aged man whose name was Varys continued "At some point in our lives we all get coffee. Your time's now."_

_Before Jaime could utter another word, Varys asked the room's attention. "Listen up people! Four weeks from now voters of King's Landing will select their next Democratic nominee for president. Now if Rhaegar Targaryen wins, I want you all to understand that it's gonna be a direct result of the commitment and the energy of every person in this room." His gaze briefly settled on Jaime before he finished what was supposed to be his_ _motivational speech of the day._

 _By the end of the first week Jaime didn't know what the hell he was doing in King's Landing. He knew everyone should pay their dues, but Jaime was also a firm believer he was meant to do more than get coffee and change toiler paper rolls. He had moments of doubt, he wanted to pack up and go back home. But the idea of his father telling him I told you so, or Cersei going on and on how he never should've left in the first place made the idea of giving up unbearable. The only one who truly supported Jaime was his younger brother Tyrion. He spent most of his nights with him on the phone, while his brother listened patiently. Tyrion was attending college in Riverlands so they hadn't seen each other for a while, but the fact that Jaime had someone in his corner made his new life in King's Landing more bearable. Most of the time Jaime was too busy to think about his circumstances because he was running from one errand to another, but now after work hours, while he was waiting in line he had nothing but his fears to occupy his thoughts. Could he make it?_ _Was he good at what he did? He thought so, he just had to find a way to prove it to his superiors._

_"Sir?" Jaime was brought back to reality by a somber man's voice._

_"Can I get a pack of Morley Red, please?" He asked while putting a few bills on the counter._

_"It's 3.25"_

* * *

"HOLD IT! Stop right there. You used to smoke?" Joanna's tone was dripping with disapproval.

"Yes. No. Well, yes." Jaime shouldn't have mentioned that. He really shouldn't have. Tyrion seemed to be having a field day with this because he couldn't hold back the snickering.

"Listen, I was young and stupid. And I haven't smoked in years." He reassured his daughter.

Joanna eyed him critically, but seemed to relent. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Probably not." Tyrion muttered before ruffling his niece's blond locks.

* * *

_Anyway back to the story. To Jaime it was just another boring afternoon, full of transf_ _erring_ _calls and going on coffee runs until Varys asked him_ _to make copies of a few documents. In itself the task was as mundane as the rest of Jaime's duties. But what he did not expect was the person he would come across just because of a damn copy machine. The moment he entered upstairs offices his gaze settled on the most unusual woman. One would think Jaime would've noticed she was completely ignoring her job and being engrossed in a book, but what he focused on was how incredibly tall she was,_ _and her face...well she wasn't going to be Miss Westeros anytime soon. It looked like her nose had been broken at least a few times, she had a very pale complexion and straw like blond hair. She did, however, have plump lips, high cheekbones and her eyes...gods her eyes were an incredible shade of blue. They reminded him of this island he once saw from afar. The water around it was_ _so similar to her eyes. If Jaime had to pick a color, the closest he would settle for would be sapphire blue. Sapphire eyes girl was managing the copy machine and Jaime didn't realize his legs were moving to her on their own accord._

_"Hmm. Excuse me, can I get 10 copies?"_

_Without even a second glance to Jaime the mystery woman continued to read her book. "Put them on the pile."_

_"Can't do. It's for Varys. I need them like, 15 minutes ago. So if it isn't much of a bother for you to actually do your job?" He quipped before offering a condescending smile. He had no time for pleasantries._

_Finally. Finally the blue eyes deigned to give him a proper once over. "You're the toiler paper guy." She stated before approaching._

* * *

"Wait! Who's that?" Joanna exclaimed.

"Uh, let's call her..." Jaime focused his pleading gaze on Tyrion. He didn't want to slip up.

"Adaline?" His brother quipped.

Jaime eagerly nodded. "Sure. It was Adaline."

* * *

_"Yes. I am, in fact, the toilet paper guy, but feel free to call me the bagel-and-coffee guy. Or Bronn in accounting calls me bottled blond guy which I find extremely offensive because I'll have you know my hair is natural."_

_She only raised her brows at Jaime's attempt to lighten their conversation. "Good to know. How many copies?"_

_"Ten, please." He watched her put file after file against the copy machine, her back muscles on full_ _display. Jaime didn't know why he was looking, Cersei would be appalled to learn he might've found this woman attractive in any way, shape or form._

_"So what made you become a Targaryen supporter?" He settled on office talk. That was a safe discussion topic._

_"I'm not. This is a money gig. I get paid 12 an hour, which is better than bartending, which is what I've been doing way too much of." She looked back to him over her shoulder. Now that Jaime got a closer look to her features he could admit she seemed at least a few years younger than him._

_"But you're a democrat, right?" Jaime inquired._

_At that comment her sapphire eyes rolled back in her head. "Why does everyone have to be a Democrat or a Republican?"_

_"Shit. You're an independent, aren't you? You're one of those weirdos who wants all Seven Kingdoms to have their own leaders."_ It was an idealistic dream _Jaime thought. No way could that be achieved without a civil war. And Independent supporters were slowly hoping it would come. They were a ticking bomb._

_"I am nothing. Why am I obligated to be something? Why do I have to have an opinion about everything anyway? I mean, really, what do I know about missile systems or social security or the tax code?"_

_Jaime wouldn't have been Jaime if he just let it go. "What about civil rights or women's rights to do what they want with their bodies?"_

_"Trust me. I do what I want with my body." The moment those words left her plump lips, a bright blush spread across her face disappearing bellow the collar of her sweater._

_"I bet..." Jaime couldn't help but chuckle as he looked her up and down._

_She tried to save face by going on " I just know that these bozos you're working for, they don't care about anything more than their own ambitions—"_

_"That's absolutely not true!" Jaime interjected._

_She released a deep sigh._ _"You think this guy, Rhaegar Targaryen is gonna make a huge difference?"_

 _"I do. He's gonna make a difference with diversity, poverty, education,_ _women's rights! He gets women." He always got passionate when he was talking about the brighter future of Westeros._

 _The woman_ _only rolled her eyes and yawned out loud. "Sorry, I'm falling asleep."_

_Jaime was getting exasperated, he hated ignorant people. "Well, as entertaining as this has been I must take my leave." He picked up his copies, before he could leave someone increased sound on one of the tv's._

_Lyanna Stark, secretary to Rhaegar Targaryen appeared on the screen. "Yes, I was Rhaegar Targaryen's lover for 6 years. For the past two I have lied to the press about the nature of our relationship to protect him. The truth is I loved him. Now he tells me to deny it. Well, guess what? I'm sick of all the deceit, of all of the lies..." The young woman looked to be on the verge of tears._

_A soft snicker drew Jaime's eyes from the screen. "Well, you're right about one thing. He certainly_ gets _women." Oh great, his new nemesis was mocking him now._

_"Bye, copy girl"_

_"Goodbye, toiler paper guy."_

**_~*~*~*~*~_ **

_For everyone working on Rhaegar's campaign the next few weeks were...eventful. Various media outlets were calling none stop, reporters were staking out their quarters. And it was happening all over Westeros. Cersei was ecstatically happy once the news broke, she believed it would push her 3rd cousin Robert in the polls. This irritated Jaime to no end, but as long as they avoided the topic of their political allegiance their relationship remained as stable as before. Cersei, to her merit, of course was nagging Jaime to leave King's Landing, but that wasn't particularly new. They made plans for her to visit soon and she not so politely reminded Jaime to contact Pia because she was still blowing up her phone. So that's where he found himself now. Knocking on a door in one of Flea Bottom's apartment complexes._

_An older voice came through the door. "Who is it?"_

_"Jaime Lannister. I called earlier."_

_"You one of those high sparrow fanatics?" The old man inquired suspiciously once he opened the door._

_"No." Did he look like one? Maybe it was time to renew his wardrobe. Jaime walked into a co_ _sy 2 bedroom apartment, but Cersei's friend was nowhere to be seen._

_"Pia said to hang tight. She'll be back soon, asked you to wait." The old man gestured to the package in Jaime's hands. "What do you got in there?"_

_"I don't know. Are you Pia's father?" Jaime didn't want to appear rude, he just found himself in an unusual situation._

_"Yeah. I'm her_ daddy _." The old man smirked slightly before reaching for a glass of vodka. "Want some?"_

_"No. It's a little early for me." Jaime tried a polite smile. It was barely a quarter after 10. He was getting nervous, he wasn't much for awkward silence._

_Thank the gods both men heard the front door opening. A curvy brunette walked into the living room. "Jaime, right? You've changed since high school." Her voice sounded_ _like honey, still as_ _seductive as ever. "I see my boyfriend is drinking you under the table."_

_Jaime almost choked on his own saliva. "He's not your father?"_

_Pia arched her delicate brows before shooting a look her boyfriend's way. "Is that what he told you? He's also my thesis advisor."_

_"Qyburn, at your pleasure." The old goat sent a satisfied grin Jaime's way._

_"This is from Cersei." Jaime gave the package to Pia before standing up. "I should get going."_

_"Of course. I'll walk you out." Pia's dark chocolate eyes were glinting with mischief._

_As soon as Jaime was out of Qyburn's ear shot he whispered "Listen, sorry about assuming he was your father..." To say this was awkward for him was an understatement._

_Pia only chuckled, before stepping over the threshold and launching herself at Jaime lips. The worst part was that Jaime kissed her back, images of Cersei appeared in front of his closed eyelids_ _and he abruptly broke away._

_"Sorry. I was just curious. Qyburn encourages me to cultivate my curiosity. He says it's the key to being a good journalist." She bit her lower lip, a shy smile on her face._

_All he could muster was a "Huh."_

_The old man's voice carried into the hall. "Pia! Daddy's hungry."_

_"Speak of the devil. I better go." She clearly checked Jaime out one last time. "Give me a call sometime. If you ever escape Cersei's claws."_

_**~*~*~*~*~** _

_"So are you gonna call her?" Bronn asked before taking another sip of beer. They met in campaign quarters and as much as it annoyed Jaime how he constantly made fun of his hair Bronn seemed to be an okay dude. Plus the rent was cheaper if he had a roommate._

_"Are you insane?"_

_"Well, what are you gonna do?"_

_Jaime inhaled deeply. "I'm gonna keep my eye on the ball. Cersei and I have a future. We have a plan." He stated._

_"Which may involve some type of threesome now. Or foursome if that old dude is still in the picture." Jaime was already contemplating his choice of friends. He learned quickly that Bronn didn't have much of a filter._

_"You're not helping." Jaime glared at his friend before chugging his own glass of beer._

* * *

"What's a threesome?" Joanna asked, her face was full of pure confusion. Well, apparently Margaery didn't cover _that_ in sex ed today.

"That's a game that adults play sometimes when they're bored." Tyrion answered. "I really like that game."

"So what happened with Cersei?" Jaime's daughter focused all of her attention back on him.

"Nothing. I wanted to wait until she came for a visit, see I had something very stupid planned." Jaime involuntary flinched a bit.

* * *

_Meanwhile things were looking up for Jaime at work. It was just one week before the primary and he had graduated from bagel and toilet paper to signs and bumper stickers. It was something, right? Bit by bit, day by day he was climbing up. And soon he got himself an opportunity to shine._

_"Lannister? Is it true you graduated first of your class at Lannisport?" Varys asked with an arched brow._

_"Yeah."_

_"Here's a list of Lannisport graduates in the King's Landing area. These people earn 200 grand plus a year. We have a $10,000-a-plate fundraiser on Monday with 15 empty tables. I need you to sell at least five of them."_

_Jaime couldn't believe he finally had something to do. He got a desk and everything. Granted, it was decorated by toiler paper rolls, but even that couldn't bring his mood down. For the next week Jaime managed to sell 8 tables. $80,000 in 7 days. Jaime had to agree that the L_ _annister name did carry favor even out of Casterly Rock. Nevertheless, Varys was impressed. So here he was enjoying the fruits of his_ _labour by buying cigarettes again. Gods, he needed to quit._

_"Pack of American Eagles, blue, please." ~~Brienne~~ was towering over Jaime, her voice bringing him out of his trance._

_"4,25" Came a bored, old cashier's response._

_"4 dollars for a pack of cigarettes?" Jaime raised his eyebrows in astonishment._

_"They don't put as much chemicals in them." Sapphire eyes responded before handing over the money._

_"So those are healthy cigarettes?"_

_She eyed Jaime for a moment before responding "Something like that."_

_Jaime didn't know what was it, but he truly loved to get on her nerves. "So if there's not as many chemicals in them they should cost less not more, don't you think?"_

_~~Brienne~~ released an annoyed sigh. "They put saltpetre in your cigarettes which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more. Which means at the end of the day your cigarettes actually cost more, not less." She finished triumphantly before heading for the exit._

_"Copy girl, what I think you're actually paying for is the picture of the eagle and the pretty pastel colors. Some reassuring idea about your lifestyle. The rest is pretty much crap." Jaime shrugged, a cocky smile on his face._

_That earned Jaime a laugh. "You wanna bet?" He decided he liked her smile. It was much more special because she didn't seem like the type to smile a lot._ _Her smiles were precious._

_"Sure. Gonna be the easiest money I ever made."_

_She rolled her eyes. "We'll see, Lannister. We'll see."_

_They stood outside the convenience store. Inhaling their respective purchases without saying a word. For a moment an awkward silence between Qyburn and Jaime flashed in his mind. But for some reason this felt different,_ _comforting even. He wouldn't mind standing like this with her forever. Whoa, where did that come from?_

_~~Brienne~~ broke the silence. "It's my birthday today."_

_"Happy birthday! Why aren't you out celebrating?" Jaime asked._

_"My boyfriend, Hyle, was taking me out for dinner and then to a party. But at last minute, he gets a gig which,of course, he takes because...truth is he's far more interested in being the next Kurt Cobain than being my boyfriend." Jaime could clearly see how hurt she was even though she tried to shrug it off._

_"Who's Kurt Cobain?" He deigned_ _ignorance, trying to make her smile again. It worked._

_"You're kidding me!" She couldn't keep the laughter in. Jaime joined her. "Smoke." ~~Brienne~~ pointed to his cigarette, which was burning much more faster than hers. Damn it._

_"Look at that." Sapphire eyes pointed to his burned out cigarette. She was just being smug now._

_"Look at that." Jaime rolled his eyes, about to take out his wallet. He lost fair and square._

_"No, come on. The satisfaction of me being right and you being wrong is more than enough for me." Her blue eyes were glimmering with laughter._

_"Well, I never welsh on a bet, so I'll tell you what. I'll take you out for a birthday dinner." He wasn't sure why he was offering. Cersei was coming to King's Landing tomorrow. He had a whole speech to prepare, but here he was with Miss Sapphire eyes._

_~~Brienne~~ stopped breathing mid smoke. "Like...a date?"_

_"No! I didn't mean it like that. Like an 'I feel sorry for you because it's your birthday and you have no plans' dinner." Jaime joked._

_She eyed him carefully, before a practised, polite smile appeared on her face. Jaime was oblivious that his comment struck too close to home._ _" I'll tell you what you can take me to this party my friend Podrick is throwing. Because there's no way I can face going alone."_

**_~*~*~*~*~_ **

_The moment they entered Podrick's apartment, ~~Brienne~~ dragged Jaime to the rooftop. She loved looking at the stars and it was conveniently quiet up there._

_"So, Cersei is what, like, your high school sweetheart?" She asked before taking a sip from the bourbon bottle they snatched from the kitchen._

_"It's amazing how you do that." Jaime grabbed the bottle and took a swig himself._

_"What?"_

_He rolled his eyes. "The way you take the simplest statement and then twist it with a completely negative connotation."_

_"It's a gift really." Miss Sapphire eyes seemed to be smiling more and more._

_"It's actually quite impressive. I'm amazed." Jaime mockingly congratulated her._

_"I didn't mean to do it. I actually think it's very sweet." She tried to reassure her newfound companion._

_"See? You did it again." Jaime couldn't help but laugh._

_"Nuh uh. BUT if your deal with Cersei is so gosh darn wonderful, then why don't you just marry her? What's stopping you?_ _" ~~Brienne~~ asked before taking the bottle back._

_A small smile appeared on his face. "Nothing." He took out a small velvet box from his back pocket and waved it in front of her face._

_"Wow." ~~Brienne~~ looked at him like a fish, her mouth hanging open._

_"Wow is about right. She's coming to visit me tomorrow. I made a reservation at some fancy French restaurant." It felt good to tell somebody. When he told Bronn his only response was 'all the pussy he'd miss out on'. And once he told Tyrion he was called a complete love sick idiot._

_"Oh, my god! You're doing it in front of a room full of strangers?"_

_"Yeah, I am. What's wrong with that?" Why did every person he spoke to about this made him have some sort of doubts?_

_"No, nothing. I think it shows confidence. What are you gonna say?" She asked with an encouraging smile. Well, at least ~~Brienne~~ didn't think he was being crazy. Although, she didn't know him well._

_"I'm still working on it. I'm not sure."_

_"You should totally practice with me. I'll be Cersei." She announced with a small giggle. The bourbon was making her braver than she usually was._

_Okay. Jaime could do that. "Cersei..." Before he could begin ~~Brienne~~ cut him off "Wait! You've got to get down on one knee. She's gonna love that."_

_He rolled his eyes, but complied. "Cersei."_

_"Yes, Jaime?" She arched her brow, a ridiculous grimace of fake seriousness gracing her features._

_"Don't make me laugh, you idiot." Jaime admonished his co-worker. "Will you, umm, marry me?"_

_"NO."_

_"For the love of gods," Jaime couldn't help but scoff._

_"That was the worst proposal ever! What do you mean 'will you, UMM, marry me?' I haven't seen you in weeks! You don't look happy or excited about the prospect of our marriage! You're asking me to give up my freedom for an institution that fails as often as it succeeds. I mean, why do you wanna marry me? Besides some bourgeois desire to fulfill an ideal that society embeds in us from an early age to promote a consumer capitalist agenda?" ~~Brienne's~~ sapphire eyes were blazing as she continued to chew Jaime's ass off. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or under that shy exterior was a much more opinionated woman._

_"I take it you're a cynic when it comes to love?" This whole situation was completely bonkers. Here he was on a rooftop in the middle of nowhere with a stranger who was pretending to be Cersei._ She's too gentle _Jaime thought. In no way did ~~Brienne~~ remind him of his girlfriend.  
_

_"Gee, what gave it away? But seriously that was bad—"_

_"Oh, just shut up!" Jaime grabbed ~~Brienne's~~ h_ _ands "I wanna marry you because you're the first person that I want to look at when I wake up in the morning and the only one I wanna kiss go_ _odnight. Because the first time that I saw your hands I couldn't imagine not being able to hold them. But mainly, when you love someone as much as I love you getting married is the only thing left to do." He released a deep breath, squeezing her hands "So will you,_ _UMM,_ _marry me?" The weirdest thing happened. Not once did Jaime envision Cercei's face while delivering the speech. All he saw was this stubborn, annoying, tall woman._

_~~Brienne~~ seemed like she was stuck in a trance, her breath stuck in her mouth. For a small second she let herself pretend this was real. That a guy like Jaime could actually love someone like her. For one short second the institution of marriage didn't seem like such a useless thing. If she had someone like Jaime._

_"Definitely, Maybe."She gently whispered, their eyes never leaving each other's face. Gods, he had such beautiful emerald eyes. She cleared her throat before gently_ _taking her hands from his grasp. "She's gonna love that..."_

 _Jaime stood up, shaking himself off f_ _rom whatever had just overcome him._ _Too much bourbon, clearly. "I will walk you home."_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think my leaving a comment ;)  
> Feedback is much appreciated!!


	3. The curse of a conscience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's gonna be a doozy.  
> Angst and pining coming your way.  
> Enjoy :)

* * *

_"Do you want a cup of coffee?"_

_"Sure. I'd love one."_ It might help with my slight buzz _he thought._

 _J_ _aime was snooping around in ~~Brienne's~~ living room. There were few pictures of what seemed to be her family or friends. A one bedroom apartment didn't have many decorations or personal belongings. It wasn't a home it was more like a strategically useful place to store all her things. _ _Jaime could relate. Back at Casterly Rock the house he and his brother grew up in didn't inspire many happy memories. But that might've been more their father's fault than the actual house itself._ _Anyway, the apartment Bronn and he shared seemed more homey than this place. One thing Jaime found interesting was the_ _stacks of books. They were everywhere: on the shelves, coffee table, sofa and even the floor itself. He remember that the first time Jaime laid eyes on ~~Brienne~~ , she was completely engrossed in a novel. Clearly, she was a fan of various genres, but one particular book stood out to him. Not because he hadn't heard of it before but because he counted at least 10 copies of it in this small space._

_"How come you have so many copies of Jane Eyre?" Jaime's curiosity couldn't be helped._

_~~Brienne~~ walked into the living room, joining Jaime on the sofa, pushing one cup his way "It's a long story."_

_Jaime looked straight into her deep blue eyes, smiling a little. "We've got time."_

_Miss Sapphire eyes took a small sip from her cup. "For my 13th birthday I wanted a real sword. I fancied myself a bit of a knight back then." Her eyes got clouded, she was reliving some heartbreaking memories. "Instead my mother bought me a hardcover copy of Jane Eyre. Inside, she wrote a beautiful inscription, which I could care less about at the time seeing as I was so pissed about the sword. Which was tragic as it turned out because it was the last present she ever gave to me."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"She died a month later in a car accident." ~~Brienne~~ cleared her throat before continuing "Anyhow, when I went away to a boarding school my dad sold our house and somewhere along the way Jane Eyre got lost. Now, every time I pass a second-hand bookstore I look for the copy that my mom bought me. It's stupid, but it's become this weird superstitious—"_

_Jaime placed his hand on her clenched fist. "It's not stupid." He thought a change of subject might be a good idea. He could've told her about his own mother, but he didn't feel like bonding over dead relatives. "So, you think it's ridiculous that I want to be a politician, don't you?"_

_~~Brienne~~ rolled her eyes, but a small amused smile was on the corner of her lips. "Yes."_

_"Gee, thanks."_

_"No, no. I get the whole politician_ _thing. It's easy to like you." She murmured avoiding his gaze._

 _"That's true. That's very true." Jaime was grinning, one thing he didn't lack was charm. The_ _$80,000 sale he had just secured was just his most recent example._

_~~Brienne~~ leveled him with a look. "I just wonder if you want people to like you a little too much."_

_"Ah, yes because I should strive for them to hate me. I'm gonna get on that. Got any tips for me?"_

_"No, but you're off to a great start. I'm hating you already." A week ago he would've believed her. Now, however, Jaime could see she was only teasing him._

_"So what do you wanna do besides managing the copy machine or working in bars? What's your dream?"_

_"Honestly? I have no idea. Well, that's a lie. I know what I want to do but I'm too scared to actually do it." Her self-depressing laugh didn't escape Jaime's keen eye._

_"Tell me."_

_"I want to travel. I want to experience new cultures, food, meet new people. Visiting Essos, Bravos, even Dorne would be a dream come true. I''ve been talking about it with Hyle, but he just shrugs it off_ _." A deep sigh escaped ~~Brienne's~~ lips._

_"You should dump him. I know it's none of my business but you seem too good for him." Jaime offered a genuine smile._

_~~Brienne~~ put her now empty cup on the coffee table. "You know what's really cool?"_

_"I bet you're going to tell me."_

_"We can just sit here and we don't have to worry about flirting or all the attraction stuff. We can have an actual, meaningful conversation. I hadn't had that in a while." She smiled genuinely, her sapphire blue eyes sparkled in the dim lighting of the room._

_Jaime struggled to come up with an answer, he just kept staring at her warm, inviting eyes. Before both of_ _them knew what was happening Jaime's mind went blank, he leaned in and brought his lips to hers. Angling slightly to one side to deepen the kiss, his tongue slowly teasing it's way into Brienne's mouth. At that bold move, her reflexes fired back up to life and she kissed him back. Oh, boy, did she kiss him back. Her arms slipped around Jaime's neck as she brought their bodies closer, allowing his own arm to wrap around her waist. Jaime's fingers were digging into her hips, his moans and growls grew raspy when their lips parted for much needed air, but Jaime wasn't ready to let her go, so he kissed her again, he kissed her for all she was worth._

 _But in the back of his mind flashes of gold hair and emerald eyes tainted his pleasure. Gods, what was he doing? He was proposing to the love of his life the next morning. What was he doing with ~~Brienne~~ of all people? She couldn't hold a candle to Cersei, his soulmate. As quickly as he yanked Brienne to him, Jaime grasped her by the arms and pushed her away. If it was even possible her eyes had gotten a deeper, darker shade of blue. Desire still clouding their thoughts they couldn't utter a word. _At least I wasn't dancing that tango alone _Jaime thought._

 _He abruptly stood up and dashed out of her apartment, but not before muttering a weak_ _"I have to go."_

 _**~*~*~** _ _***~*~** _

_Jaime spent most of the night wandering the streets of King's Landing. He was a complete mess. First Pia, now his co-worker? What was wrong with him? He loved Cersei, he knew he did. Somewhere after two hours of walking aimlessly_ _the guilt kicked in. He had betrayed Cersei. The woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. The ring in his pocket felt like it was burning a hole in his jeans. What was he supposed to do? He knew the honorable thing to do was tell the truth. But this was Cersei. She'd never forgive him. And he wasn't ready to let her go, she was all he knew. That night Jaime Lannister talked himself into proposing to his girlfriend just as planned. No one had to know of what happened. What Jaime would realize much later was that at that_ _point in their relationship he was driven by familiarity and newfound guilt and not love..._

**_~*~*~*~*~_ **

_Cersei Baratheon showed up the next day, 11 on the dot. She looked just as Jaime remembered: sophisticated yet sexy, her golden hair pinned in a tight bun, wearing a tight, high waisted skirt and a matching blazer. The outfit didn't reveal much, leaving plenty to the imagination. S_ _he looked exactly like an aspiring young lawyer. However, she could barely meet his eyes, going from one corner to the other. Never staying still for long, the room was silent for a long time. Jaime didn't think much of it, he was too distracted by trying to get enough courage to pop the question. They decided to go for a walk, the gardens and parks in King's Landing were magnificent. Jaime was certain Cersei would appreciate the view._

_He cleared his throat before beginning "So... did I ever tell you about the day my dad proposed to my mom?" He remembered the story well, one night when he couldn't fall asleep, he crawled to his mother's bed and asked her to tell him a story. For some reason his mother settled on this specific one._

_His girlfriend only rolled her eyes before checking her phone for the millionth time. "No, babe. I don't think so."_

_"Well, my mom was on her way to meet my father where he was expected to propose and she ran into her ex-boyfriend. They started talking, and all these old feelings started to come up. And she was thinking 'I could run away right now with this man and be happy. All I have to do is kiss him'. But instead she looked up and saw my father walking around the corner. And at that moment she knew that she had no reason to be afraid. Do you understand?" Jaime gently laced their fingers together before ceasing to walk._

_"Am I this mystery man or your mother in this story?" Cersei arched one brow. Clearly, she wasn't as sentimental as her boyfriend._

_Jaime let go of her hand and got down on one knee, banishing any thoughts of ~~Brienne's~~ face to the farthest corner of his psyche. "Cersei, when I saw you this morning..."_

_Cersei Baratheon looked like a deer caught i_ _n headlights. "Jaime, stand up!". She hissed through clenched teeth, wildly looking around to make sure the garden was, in fact, empty._

 _"...I knew with absolute clarity...that I had no reason to be afraid._ _" Jaime procured the engagement ring and was about to open the box._

 _"Put that away. Jaime! I slept with Lancel. I came here to end things." Cersei didn't seem to be_ _ashamed she was merely inconvenienced._

 _Whatever Jaime was about to say died on the tip of his tongue_ _. Lancel? His cousin Lancel? "I thought we had a plan." A hysterical laugh bubbled out of his chest._

_"We did. Then you decided to ruin things by coming here. I'm not gonna waist my time pretending this is working for me"._

_"So you decide to sleep with my fucking cousin?". Jaime's tone made Cersei flinch, not because she truly cared how her actions affected him, but because she was scared someone might hear them squabbling._

_"He was also working on Robert's campaign. I was lonely. I don't have to explain myself." Her self-righteousness was on full display. It was like for the first time Jaime looked at_ her _and_ truly _saw who she was._

_"I was a damn fool to ever love you." He shook his head before leaving Cersei to stand alone in an empty garden. He could feel his heart breaking, his hands were balled into fists and he wanted to take out this blinding rage on something or someone._

**_~*~*~*~*~_ **

_Two weeks later Jaime stood in the campaign quarters around his co-workers who were cheering on their success in getting Rhaegar Targaryen to win the primaries. The Lyanna Stark scandal seemed to have simmered down, but once it reared it's_ _head Jaime started questioning his faith in the esteemed politician. By no means did he want Westeros to be run by a Baratheon (Cersei would let it go to her head even more) but Rhaegar seemed less and less appealing with every new scandal someone managed to dig up. According to the reports Elia Martell was considering divorce. Cearly, being the first lady of Westeros when your husband was a branded cheater wasn't her idea of a good time. Jaime was downing his fourth glass of dornish wine when he saw ~~Brienne~~ across the room, chatting with a few of his colleagues, one of them being Varys, who was taking an uncharacteristic interest in the tall woman. It was time to save Miss Sapphire eyes._

_"Hi."_

_~~Brienne's~~ eyes focused on his before a polite smile graced her lips. "Hey! Congratulations I heard they asked you to stay on. You must be very happy."_

_Jaime only managed an ironic smile. "Yes. Ecstatic." When his professional career was on the rise, his personal life had plummeted down into the deepest waters._

_"Really? Why do I feel like I should hide the razor blades and the staplers and those scissors?" She jokingly pointed to his small desk._

_"Listen, I'm sorry about the other night." He knew they couldn't tip toe around the elephant in the room for much longer._

_"We were drunk. Besides I don't think Hyle or Cersei would approve." Brienne was clearly feeling guilty. Just as Jaime had until he learned Cersei had been doing more than just kissing strangers._

_"Well,—" Jaime thought he should tell his proposal scene partner that he and his longtime girlfriend had broken up. But before he could muster the words she interjected "Besides, you and me? It'd kind of be like cats and dogs."_

_"Yeah. Oil and paper." Jaime wasn't gonna lie that stung a bit. He wasn't particularly interested in ~~Brienne~~ like _that _, but she dismissed him too quickly for his liking. A lion's pride was wounded._

_"Sandpaper and bare ass." Miss Sapphire eyes offered._

_Jaime was smiling. He liked this game. "Lennon and McCartney."_

_"They were good together!"_

_Jaime rolled his eyes, ~~Brienne~~ clearly didn't know her Beatles facts. He'd have to fix that. "Yeah, while it lasted and then they couldn't even be friends."_

_A shy smile appeared on the corner of her lips before she looked away. "I think we can, at least, manage that."_

_"I think we could." They clinked their wine glasses before taking a tentative sip._

_"So how was the proposal? Is Cersei already planning the wedding?" She suggestively wiggled her brows._

_Jaime breathed in, a deep sigh escaped his lips. "She dumped me, soon after revealing that she slept with my cousin." He stated matter of factly._

_Brienne's loud, boisterous laugh cut through the music. Once she realized he wasn't joking she muttered "Shit."_

_"Yup."_

_"Hey! There's plenty of fish in the sea left. I mean you're newly single, hot and you're..._ you _." If Jaime wasn't still wallowing in self pity he would've noticed that ~~Brienne~~ had gotten flustered._

_"What am I supposed to do? Just grab some random girl, throw her over my shoulder, take her onto the dance floor?" He motioned to their drunk colleagues. Some where dancing on tables while others had made a little more room in the far corner._

_"Just take your own advice. The best revenge is to have fun." Miss Sapphire eyes took another sip of her wine._

_Suddenly an idea hit him, Jaime smirked mischievously before nodding his head. "Okay." Without fair warning he picked ~~Brienne~~ up and started walking to the self made dance floor._

_"You idiot! I didn't mean me." Jaime could barely hear her protests, they were being drowned by the music and the loud chatter. But he couldn't help but smile when she continued to squirm._

* * *

** GIRLFRIENDS** **QUALITIES **

1\. Cersei High school sweetheart, rude, discouraging, doesn't like KL.

2\. Pia Journalist, pretty, not shy, fun.

3\. Adaline Wants to travel, good at making fun of dad, loves books.

Joanna was getting sleepy, but the story was just getting good. She, with uncle Tyrion's help had made a list while listening to her father.

"I guess that's it for Cersei. I can't believe that she 'rehearsed' with your cousin." The little girl striked out Cersei's name from her notepad.

"I can't believe it either." Tyrion nodded his head, but once he looked at Jaime an 'I've always known she wasn't right for you' look was dancing in his eyes.

"That leaves Adaline. Maybe Pia. Was there anybody else?" Joanna asked before rubbing her sleep deprived eyes.

"I was too busy working on the campaign. Anyway, when Rhaegar Targaryen got elected, Bronn and I teamed up and started our own consulting firm and we worked on campaigns for everybody: city council, state senate _—_ ".

"That seems riveting, dad, but what about girlfriends? What about mom?" Joanna cut him off, always quick and to the point.

A chuckle rumbled deep in Jaime's throat. Gods, his daughter was something else. "Well, I started dating again. But nothing serious."

"What about Adaline? What happened to her?" His daughter asked, her mind still sharp as a whip, but her eyes were clouding over with sleep.

Jaime's heart jumped in his chest at the thought of Brienne. "A week after primaries she broke up with her boyfriend Hyle. She finally decided to travel, just like she always dreamed of doing. She said it was because of something I said to her on her birthday." Jaime smiled wistfully before clearing his throat. "We started writing postcards and letters. Before I knew it, even though we were separated by entire worlds, we became great friends."

* * *

_Two years had gone by. Broken hearts were mended and the possibility for something new and exciting was on the horizon. It was 1994 and King's Landing was full of new opportunities. More jobs, more money. That was the start of the internet, also overnight everyone in Westeros had a cell phone. Which they never seemed to put down. Soon after Jaime's old boss Varys gave him and Bronn their first big break. For the first time in a long while clients were coming to them not the other way around. Jaime's career was taking off, so of course something had to happen in his personal life. Yin and yang. He had received an invitation to a book signing by none other that Qyburn Citadel. Jaime could still vividly remember his_ _strange encounter with vodka before 11AM guy. Even though he wouldn't admit it to himself at the time the only reason he decided to spare his busy Wednesday evening was the chance to get a glimpse at Pia. He hadn't payed much attention to her in high school, but then again he was living and breathing Cersei at the time. One thing was for sure— he thought her intriguing, provocative even, she always had an easygoing smile on her round face. So, Jaime found himself in a room full of literature lovers, the library was crowded, clearly, Qyburn had an audience. Posters with 'The decline of almost everything by Qyburn Citadel' covered the intricate walls. Qyburn was standing in the middle of the room on a podium of some sort talking about his latest masterpiece._

_"Listen to the truncated bastard language of today. The average vocabulary is a third of what it was 100 years ago. Words fall out of our mouths and die at our feet! The landscape of vocabulary is being hacked down and grubbed up by the dribble of pop culture, poisoned by lazy obscenity..."_

_"Jaime Lannister?" He heard a hushed whisper._

_He turned to his left to see Pia leaning on the same wall. She looked as hot as she did 2 years ago when she shoved her tongue down his throat."Pia! Good to see you."_

_A breathtaking smile graced her lips. "Didn't think this was your scene. How's Cersei?"_

_Jaime would've laughed out loud, but this was not_ _the place or the time. "She's starring in someone else's melodrama now. How's the professor?" His gaze lingered on the podium._

_"He dumped me for a sophomore. Told me it was for my own good."_

_Jaime's eyebrows rose. "I'm sorry to hear that. What have you been up to?"_

_A delicate laugh escaped her cherry red lips. "You don't look sorry. I'm writing these really dumb articles for Westeros Weekly. Waiting for my big break. I hear you're writing speeches for Arthur Dayne now."_

_"Yeah. A good guy. He worked his way up from the bottom." He was one of Jaime's biggest inspirations in life. Arthur Dayne was an idol, the man set off his interest in politics. Suddenly, an idea started forming in his head._

_"I was thinking...you could do a peace on Dayne. It might give you the big break you've been waiting for and he'd get more buzz before the senate elections."_

_Before Jaime could process what was going on. He was being dragged out of the overcrowded library. "Let's go get a drink, hot stuff."_

* * *

"I knew Pia would be back." Joanna nodded eagerly when Tyrion scrunched up his face.

"Did you?"

"At first, I didn't want Pia to be my mom, but now I'm kinda liking her. Did you ask her out on a date?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Jaime made himself more comfortable on the bed. "I wanted to, badly. But she was writing the article."

* * *

_In his hands Jaime was holding a hot off the presses, not yet published peace on future_ _Senator Arthur Dayne. "Wow. This is really good, P"_

_Pia seemed self-conscious. "Are you sure it didn't seem like a puff piece?"_

_"No. It's perfect. Well, there's one part, though, that kind of bothered me." Jaime cleared his throat before ceremoniously reading "Jaime Lannister, Dayne's chief speech writer is both intense and boyishly handsome. Boyishly, really?"_

_Pia bared her white teeth. "You know, I originally wrote 'Jaime Lannister has seductive eyes and the intriguing looks of someone whose clothes you want to rip from his very body' but the editor made me change it."_

_"There's just no room for truth in journalism nowadays." Gods, he wanted to kiss her._

_He was flirting. She was flirting. They were flirting._

**_~*~*~*~*~_ **

_Before long they started officially dating. After Cersei any other relationship couldn't have been anything but perfect. Pia was supportive of his career, she loved getting to know every part of him, they also had many things in common. They'd spent their weekends reading or staying in bed, listening to jazz or taking lazy strolls through King's Landing. She made him laugh more than anyone ever had, Tyrion seemed to like her too. And Jaime? Well, he was a hopeless romantic. It was very easy for him to fall in love, especially while in a relationship with a truly caring woman. Life was good: he had the perfect job, the perfect girlfriend, the perfect life, really. The cherry on top was that his best friend was taking a reprieve from traveling and had come home._

_"I thought you were gonna be traveling through Essos this summer." They met up for a honorary catch up brunch. But Jaime needed to pick something up first, so they were walking through bustling streets of King's Landing._

_"That was the plan. But I just...got homesick, I guess? I missed my dad and friends..." She trailed off._

_~~Brienne~~ looked relaxed, happy. She'd gotten a little bit more sun and her hair was longer since the last time he saw her, but she was still radiating the-no-nonsense-energy. She was still the woman who challenged him to a ridiculous cigarette off just to rub it in his face how wrong he was._

_"I was getting homesick while looking through your postcards and I didn't even leave my apartment, so I can only imagine." Jaime opened the door into a posh jewelry boutique, motioning for her to go in first._

_~~Brienne~~ seemed to be confused. "What are we doing here?"_

_"I just got to pick something up. Will take only a second." Jaime beamed at the sales assistant before telling her his name._

_"Anyway, I thought maybe we could have dinner tonight? I've missed—" Whatever ~~Brienne~~ was about to say died on her lips the moment she saw a beautiful, emerald cut diamond being handed to Jaime._

_"Here we are, sir."_

_Jaime misunderstood ~~Brienne's~~ shocked expression for surprise when in fact it was pain, disappointment and all the other negative feelings that came with heartbreak. "So, I have some news for you too."_

_It felt like her legs were about to give out. Before he could see the tears that were forming in her eyes she stormed out into the street, taking one deep breath after another._

_Jaime barely managed to catch up._ She had damn long legs _he thought. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why are you upset?"_

_Whatever rationale ~~Brienne~~ seemed to possess went out the window where Jaime Lannister was concerned. Of course he would never see her as more than a friend. The only time he seemed to be interested in her was when he was completely plastered. "Don't you think it's a little weird we've been writing each other for however long and somehow you neglect to tell me that A: you've fallen in love and B: YOU'VE FALLEN IN LOVE."_

_He didn't seem to understand what had gotten into his best friend. "I told you I was dating someone."_

_"Dating someone? You just bought a diamond engagement ring for someone!" She was getting exasperated even though she had no right to be. She was friendzoned pretty early in their relationship. ~~Brienne~~ knew it was to be expected, guys like Jaime never went for girls like her. Yet it didn't make her heart hurt less._

_"I guess..I was just nervous to tell you." Jaime trailed off._

_He valued ~~Brienne's~~ opinion so much, she was his best friend. His only female friend. He was living life through rose tinted glasses right now, high on love. He didn't want her logic and reason to get in the way of the fairy tale._

_"Why would you be nervous to tell me?"_

_"I don't know. I love this girl so much. I'd just really like you to be happy for me." He looked into the pools of sapphire blue, taking a step closer to her._

_They were in a bustling street, cars were honking, people were shouting, but he didn't seem to hear or see anyone but her, every time he was with ~~Brienne~~ time stood still._

_She couldn't meet his eyes for a long time, before nodding "I can be happy for you." She tucked one of Jaime's stray strands of hair behind his ear, a strained smile gracing her face._

_That was all Jaime needed to hear. He swept her into a tight hug, completely ignoring grumbling strangers or the fact that he needed to stand on his tip toes. "Of course I can be happy for you." She whispered again, holding him tightly._

_Only this time he didn't see the tears streaming down her face._

* * *

"Poor Adaline. She's like the character in the story who's always been the friend. Then she realized she doesn't just want to be the friend. She wants to be the girlfriend, except it's too late." Joanna said.

"What do you mean? Tyrion inquired.

"Weren't you listening? She totally came back home for dad."

"I was an idiot to not see it." Jaime agreed, a long sigh escaping his lips.

How much time would they have saved if he wasn't so blind?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thrive on Kudos & comments haha  
> So share with me what ya'll think.  
> Until next time, ciao!


	4. Dangers of falling in love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter should be called- "They just keep missing each other" :  
> Don't hate me too much, okay? I'll make up for it!  
> Plus this chapter entails a bit more from Brienne's POV.

* * *

_A few weeks passed, Jaime threw himself into work, after all, there was plenty of it with Arthur Dayne not doing as well in the polls as they had expected. He was coming in 2nd after Olenna Tyrell. He thought the old broad would make one hell of a senator, but Arthur was his top priority, he knew he had innovative ideas and a clear vision for Westeros. While Mrs.Tyrell could charm anyone, she lacked work ethic, she saw this as a fun game. She also came from wealth, one would naturally assume Jaime was in favor of that because of his own background, but he believed in a self made man far more than an heiress who acquired her wealth and power by marrying into money. On top of that, he was planning a romantic getaway to Highgarden for Pia. Her birthday was coming up soon and he thought she'd appreciate the gesture. Plus it was a great spot for a proposal._

_"You're early. You're never early" He stated as Pia walked into a small cafe they were meeting to have lunch in. He was catching up on some work before she showed up._

_"That's a nice tie." Without a care in the world she dropped into his lap and kissed him passionately._

_He was grinning. "Well, you'd know. You bought it."_

_She scrambled from Jaime's lap and took a seat opposite him. She looked serious, which was unusual for Pia. She was the most carefree person he had ever met. "So, the magazine asked me to do a follow-up on Arthur Dayne."_

_"That's great! He's been dragging in the polls. This is gonna give us another boost." Jaime felt like he could breathe easier._

_Pia kept looking at her manicured nails, avoiding his gaze. "Yeah it's great. It's also...Just read it."_

_She pushed an article down the table. Jaime's surprise was evident. "You already wrote it?"_

_He quickly scanned the pages, his brows furrowing with every new sentence he read. Oh, for the love of the seven. "He did this?"_

_"Yeah. It seems he used his influence to get a friend an early parole. I mean, I think it was such a long time ago and you're totally gonna pull ahead in the polls—". Pia was babbling now. She did this when she got nervous._

_"Babe, I don't think that's gonna matter because he's the tough-on-crime candidate. When people read this...Pia, listen to me. If you hand this in, we won't survive it." He grabbed her her hands, deep deep down he knew he was being selfish, but this was his career they were talking about._

_"I think it'll be a big deal for about a week and then the storm will pass." She tried to convince him._

_He let go of her hands. "I'm talking about you and me. Candidate brought down by speechwriter's girlfriend? Come on."_

_Pia crossed her arms, a defense tactic. "I'm just doing my job. If I didn't write this, somebody else would."_

_"So let them. Don't hand this in." Jaime pushed the article from his sight. When a long silence followed he understood. "You already did."_

_Pia seemed angry. Why was she angry? Her entire career wasn't about to blow up. "I never expected you to be this selfish, Jaime. Maybe you and Cersei had more in common than I thought. You clearly mastered the art of manipulation. A far less smart woman would fall for it." She tried to hide how hurt she was before snatching the article and walking out. Head held high the entire time._

* * *

Joanna striked out Pia's name from the notepad. "I really liked Pia. I think you're the one who screwed that one up, dad."

Jaime nodded. "You're right. It's like she said if she didn't write it, someone else would've. Plus it was the truth."

"What happened when the article came out?"

* * *

_Jaime lost his job, his girlfriend, he fell out with Bronn because Pia was the one that cost them their jobs, and he lost his best friend ( ~~Brienne~~ decided they needed to take a break?!) since when did friends take breaks? For a long time, nothing seemed to matter. But he wasn't the only one with problems..._

_"I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Stark. I never told anybody to lie." Rhaegar Targaryen appeared on the screen. Before Jaime could listen to any more the phone rang. "Hello?"_

_"Are you watching?"_

_"....these allegations are false..."_

_" ~~Brienne~~?" He couldn't believe she was calling him. Gods, he truly didn't deserve to have a friend like her. She was the only one, the only one to stick by him through highs and lows. No matter how much he seemed to screw up._

_"Yeah, ~~Brienne~~. Who'd think it was?" He could imagine her rolling her eyes._

_"Of course I'm watching. You think he did it, don't you?" Jaime couldn't help the ironic smile._

_A very unlady like snort could be heard through the line. "I don't think, I know. Look at the pictures of her. She's so his type."_

_"So, what took you so long to finally call me? I thought I lost you there for a second. Felt like years." The moment those words left Jaime's lips he knew how true they were. He couldn't imagine his life without her annoying but lovable presence._

_The line stayed silent for a while. "I'm calling you now, aren't I?" A long pause again. "Wanna meet up for a drink?"_

_"I'm already out the door." Jaime could hear her laughter before scrambling from his bed._

**_~*~*~*~*~_ **

_Jaime and ~~Brienne~~ were sitting in a cozy, dim lit booth. There were very _ _few customers besides them, the bar was eerily quiet for a Friday evening._

_"I'm finally using that history major. I got a job at a bookstore. But I'm thinking about going back to school to study tourism, maybe?" Her sapphire eyes were blazing with passion for the past hour as she kept telling him all he had missed during their short 'break'._

_Jaime listened, a small content smile on his face. His food was getting cold, but he didn't give a damn. "Listen to me go on and on. What about you? Seeing anyone?"_

_He had to laugh at that specific question. "Am I...gods, no. I haven't had sex since Rhaegar was re-elected."_

_"Why bother? Targaryen is having enough sex for all the kingdoms." She didn't even try to mask her amusement._

_Jaime threw one of his cold fries at her. "Easy now."_

_"You see, Miss Tarth I don't want a fling. I want the real deal." His heart was jaded too many times, but he still believed there was someone out there for everyone. It might just take him longer than he realized before he found her._

_With a wistful smile she replied. "Forg_ _et about the real deal. You don't find it, it finds you."_

_"What does that even mean?"_

_"It means that you get to a certain age and then you're ready for kids or commitment or you know..a mortgage? And the person you're with then, they become the one" Now she was just talking for the sake of it._

_"So you're saying it's not who, but it's when." He knew ~~Brienne~~ was a cynic where love was concerned, but this was just plain stupid._

_"Exactly."_

_"So, you're saying there's never been a guy, ever, that made you think: 'This is it. This is him. This is the one?" For a reason Jaime didn't care to examine closely h_ _e held his breath while waiting for her response._

_~~Brienne~~ cast her eyes down to the dessert menu. She felt like her treacherous heart was about to jump out of her chest._ _"No." She stated simply._

_Again, f_ _or reasons unknown Jaime didn't like her answer. "Okay, then why aren't you out there, you know, enjoying yourself?"_

_"I am." She flipped to another page. "I'm seeing this guy, Tormund."_

_She was seeing_ who _now?! Deep irritation bubbled in Jaime's chest. Why? He had no idea. She must've dated when she was gallivanting around Westeros. He didn't care before. "Who the hell is Tormund? Where did...how come you never mentioned anything about him?"_

_"It just hadn't come up. Oh, I think I'm gonna try this chocolate-mint ice cream." ~~Brienne~~ was already signaling the waiter._

**_~*~*~*~*~_ **

_The next few months for Jaime seemed to be dragging out. He finally found a new job, consulting fresh and a bit_ _green aspiring politicians whose mothers or fathers were bankrolling them. Still, it payed the bills. And he did have a few things to look forward to. His little brother was finally coming for a visit for his upcoming birthday. His 27th to be exact. Jaime wasn't particularly keen on celebrating, but ~~Brienne~~ assured she was planning something small and sophisticated. Tyrion was less thrilled, he wanted to go bar hopping all through out the night, but Jaime assured him he could still do that. Just without him. He felt like he was stuck in a rut, with no way out. And he didn't particularly know what was causing it. Even though a __small and annoying voice at the back of his mind kept whispering_ liar. _Okay, fine he knew what was missing in his life. He just didn't feel like acknowledging it and opening an unnecessary hornets nest._ _The day he started dealing with the crushing reality that he was undeniably in love with his best friend was the day he'd bury himself alive. She was happy with this ginger guy and at least he was treating her like the most precious human alive. So that was a step up from that Hyle asshole. He also didn't think_ _that he could handle losing their friendship and that would certainly happen if he ever confessed his feelings. Sometimes he wondered if they ever could've stood a chance? If he had realized that everything he was looking for in Cersei or in Pia he already had in ~~Brienne~~. Alas, it wasn't the first time Cupid p_ _layed a cruel joke on him._

_What had she said to him after the night they shared their first and only kiss? "You and me? It'd be like cats and dogs." It didn't bother him at the time, the Cersei wound was still too fresh. He wasn't even thinking about the possibility. Now, though? Jaime wished ~~Brienne~~ could see that they weren't from such different worlds. And so what if they were? If a cat and a dog fell in love, whose business wa_ _s it, but theirs? The problem was that only the dog had fallen in love._ _The cat was happily dating the 'wonderful' Tormund._

_Jaime loosened his tie before unceremoniously sitting on his couch. He pressed his answering machine._

**_Message no.1_ **

_"Hey, this is ~~Brienne~~. I need to talk to you about your birthday. Your brother wants a specific kind of wine and I can't find the brand in King's Landing for the life of me. Call me."_

_Jaime was smiling like an idiot. She sounded s_ _lightly frustrated yet still amused. Tyrion and ~~Brienne~~? He couldn't wait for his favorite people to be in the same place again. _ _Before he could reminisce about the last time his brother was in the city a voice he hadn't heard in a while filled his living room._

**_Message no.2_ **

_"Hello, it's me. Cersei. I'm in King's Landing an I was thinking maybe we could get a cup of coffee and catch up. My number..."._

_Jaime zoned out completely. He hadn't heard from his first girlfriend since the day they ended things. That was about 3 years ago._ _What a day that was. Last he heard she was dating his cousin for a short while, before sinking her teeth into some random fool with a fortune bigger than the Great Grass sea._

_As if he didn't have_ _enough to deal with..._ _Now he'd have to watch his back as not to bump into his ex._

**_~*~*~*~*~_ **

_~~Brienne~~ didn't have many close friends, so her knowledge of throwing parties was limited. Still, she believed she orchestrated a damn good celebration. S_ _he asked her friend Pod to lend his apartment for the festivities while he was back visiting his family. The place was cosy, but what she loved the most about it was the rooftop. Well, not the rooftop itself, but the access it offered. She, Pod and Sansa would spend their evenings looking up at the sky, staring at the brightly shining stars, trying to guess what constellations they belonged to. It was a sanctuary of sorts, her safe place. She never took Hyle or even Tormund up there. The only person she ever brought there was Jaime. Even after all these years_ _she didn't know why she dragged him up there that night. He was merely a stranger back then, but she felt safe with him._

_~~Brienne~~ was rummaging through the drawers looking for the candles she'd need when she heard Jaime's brother exclaim "Hey everybody, he's here!"_

_Her eyes immediately fixated on Jaime's side profile. She watched as he greeted his brother and friends. He seemed to be surprised Bronn was among the guests, but they needed to bury the hatched sooner or later. Besides it wasn't Jaime's fault his girlfriend did an exposé_ _on their employer, ruining his chances to get a seat in Senate._

_Gods, he was aging like fine wine. For the past year he's been sporting a thicker beard and it just made him look even more sexier. What was wrong with her? She had a perfectly good boyfriend, who had an even even better beard. Or that was what Tormund kept going on and on about. For all his faults he was still kind and gentle and he looked at her like she hung the moon and the stars. Sometimes she felt guilty for not being able to adore him just as much. He was a good man. She just didn't think he was the man for her. Still their relationship was comfortable and stable. And it was better than being alone._

_Before long everyone was telling stories, chatting and having a good time. She noticed Jaime was nursing his 5th bottle of bear, not to mention doing shots of tequila like there was no tomorrow. She'd need to cut him off soon._ _~~Brienne~~ reached him and took the bottle away. He was already swaying from side to side._

_"Hey, fun police." His glossy eyes focused on her face._

_~~Brienne~~ merely arched a brow. She was all for having fun. Moderate kind of fun. What Jaime considered fun was waking up in the middle of nowhere without any clothes. That was just a small percent of the stories she'd heard from Tyrion about Jaime's teenage years._

_"Iron Islands c_ _ontract, arms for oil- no problem. But a little "oralness" and you're headed for impeachment." Bronn continued talking in their small circle._

_"No politics!" Tyrion shook his head while taking another shot._

_Jaime smirked before murmuring "Maybe he should be impeached."  
_

_Every head snapped in his direction. Even ~~Brienne~~ looked at him like he was crazy. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Did Lannister really say that?" Bronn's mouth was hanging open._

_"Why not? I put my faith in him. We all did. And the esteemed president of Westeros was screwing his secretary."_

_"You love him." ~~Brienne~~ couldn't hide her shock. Since the moment she met Jaime, he _ _was all team Targaryen._

_"I thought he was gonna be different than the other jokers, but this guy, he can't even define the word 'is' What happens if they give him one of the hard words like 'truth'?"_

_A long pause followed. "I'd vote for him again." Bronn slurred before Jaime's friends burst into fits of laughter._

**_~*~*~*~*~_ **

_Later that night ~~Brienne~~ lost track of Jaime while playing the hostess. Tyrion found her when it was time for the cake, but apparently he couldn't locate his brother either. They searched the whole apartment. He couldn't have gone far, his jacket and wallet were still there. She was standing by one of the windows gazing at the night sky when it hit her. She smiled before going out the door._

_And there he was. On her rooftop. But where Brienne would've_ _been l_ _ooking up, his head was downcast to the empty streets. "You missed your birthday cake."_

_He didn't move an inch. "Uh-oh."_

_"And I baked it." That got him to look sideways at her. "You baked it?" He sounded sceptical. Jaime knew she was a terrible cook._

_She noticed he had a bottle of whiskey in his hands. "Well, I got up really early to buy it." He smiled at her then. She joined him by the railing._

_"I proposed to you here." He whispered, trying to gouge her reaction_

_~~Brienne~~ rolled her eyes. "You proposed to pretend Cersei here."_

_"Funny. I don't remember thinking about her, then. All I saw was you."_

_Jaime was about to take another swig of whiskey before ~~Brienne~~ pried it from his fingers. "Somebody had too much to drink."_

_"Gods, your eyes are beautiful. They're so blue. I love blue." He kept on mumbling, his gaze never wavering from ~~Brienne's~~._

_She didn't know what to say. "Thank you?"_

_Jaime settled down on one of the garden chairs,_ _motioning for her to join him. "The thing is...is that I like you. I've always liked you."_

_"I like you too." ~~Brienne~~ reassured him. She wouldn't be his friend if she didn't._

_For some reason Jaime looked like someone had punched him in the face._ _" 'Like' it's such an easy word. 'Love' on the other hand...You'd run away from a word like that, wouldn't you?"_

_She had no idea what was happening. She never really had to deal with Jaime 'the drunk'. Did he become a philosopher once he got plastered?_

_"I love you. I'm in love with you, ~~Brienne~~."_

_She wasn't sure if she believed the words that left his mouth, he was drunk. It was what she wanted to hear since the moment she got back from her travels. Was this a dream? ~~Brienne~~ wasn't sure. "Why didn't you tell me?" Barely a whisper escaped her lips._

_"Come on. You know exactly why. You'd never be interested in me." She would've laughed if it didn't hurt so much._

_"You're an idiot."_

_Jaime couldn't help but smile at her brazen statement. " I am. I truly am."_

_They stared at each other for a moment, before Jaime moved closer. The moment was so hypnotic that ~~Brienne's~~ eyes simply fluttered closed when his lips gently brushed against hers. It was different than the last time. He was just so gentle, it's like Jaime thought any wrong movement would make her disappear. ~~Brienne~~ sank deeper into his embrace as his arms tightened around her waist. His tongue teased at the seam of her lips, coaxing for entrance and gaining it with barely any resistance from her. ~~Brienne's~~ hand found it's way to the nape of his neck, her fingers raking through his golden locks as their kiss fused into shared gasps and moans. They parted for a moment, but Jaime's demanding mouth reclaimed hers once more. Although, the euphoria of the moment was starting to wear off for ~~Brienne~~. What was she doing? Tormund's kind face flashed before her eyes. She couldn't do this to him. Tormund was no Hyle, he worshiped the ground she walked._

_She pulled back abruptly. "Stop."_

_"What?" Jaime looked like he was waking up from a daze._

_"Not like this. Look at you, Jaime. You're a drunk mess. And I...I'm with Tormund._ _"_ _She kept going on, completely freaked out_ _by the fact that what she never expected to happen happened and that it happened at the worst possible time._

_"I'm a mess? That's interesting coming from you, ~~Brienne~~. You conduct your relationships like business._ _No grand passion or desperate love to cloud your extremely sound judgement._ _You're stringing that poor bastard along like a damn puppy when you very well know you don't love him._ _" Jaime realized his mistake the moment she flinched at his words. It was the alcohol, it made him more reckless than necessary._

_"I think you should leave." The resolve in her voice was like steal. "And never come back." She added bitterly._

* * *

"I think dad was right." Joanna said to her uncle. "It's complicated isn't it? I mean, dad's in love with Adaline, who used to be in love with Hyle and then she fell in love with him, but dad was in love with Pia, who was probably in love with Qyburn. And now that dad is in love with Adaline, she's in love with Tormund. And no one's in love with dad."

Her uncle nodded his head. "That _is_ complicated."

Joanna took in a deep breath and focused on her father. "Then what happened?"

Her father shrugged. "Life continued on."

* * *

_Jaime had taken a liking to bookstores. They reminded him of ~~Brienne~~. She had yet to answer any _ _of his calls or messages and it had been a month. He knew he screwed up bad. Why did he have to get so sloshed? That night he did and said the wrong things. But he couldn't change the past all he could do was make amends for hurting her. He had to find a way to get her back into his life. There was no alternative, he would accept anything she'd give him. Their_ _friendship was the most important thing in the world. If she decided to stay with Tormund, if she truly loved him he'd learn to suppress his feelings, he'd bury his love if that's what it took to stay in her life._

_Jaime's eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar book that was residing on one of the displays. Jane Eyre, Random House, 1943. He smiled, reminiscing about the evening ~~Brienne~~ opened up to him for the first time. Trusted him enough to share the heartbreaking story of her mother._

_He was pulled out of his thoughts by the bookstore's employer. "It's a beautiful edition, known for the cover illustration. But there's a lovely dedication inside, with a quote from the book."  
_

_Jaime opened the hardcover book, his breath hitching in his throat. Could he be this lucky?_

_**To my darling daughter, Brienne.** _

_**'The human heart has hidden treasures. In secret kept, in silence sealed.** _ _**The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures. Whose charms were broken if revealed.'** _

_**From your loving mother.** _

_**~*~*~*~*~** _

_Jaime knocked on her apartment door. He was completely out of breath, having run straight from the bookstore to here. He just couldn't believe he found it! It had to be a sign, right? That they could move past this._

_The door opened, revealing ~~Brienne's~~ roommate."Hi, Sansa."_

_"Jaime, hi. I haven't heard any of your long sorry messages in a while." She smiled almost playfully, but her keen eyes were distrustful._

_He released a deep sigh. "Those were delightful, weren't they? ~~Brienne~~ here?"_

_"No. She's...um I don't know how to say this." Sansa looked at him with undisguisable pity. "She's out of town. Visiting her fiancé's parents."_

_"Fiancé'_ _s?"_

_The redhead was staring over his shoulder, not able to meet his eyes. "Tormund proposed. She said yes."_

_Jaime felt like someone crashed a pile of bricks over his head. "Got it. Please don't tell her I was here."_

_The woman who once called marriage a failed institution and mocked Jaime for it was getting married..._ _  
_

_He didn't remember how he got home. Jaime was in quite a daze before turning to a bottle of whiskey._

_It made his problems vanish. It made his feelings vanish. It made everything vanish._

_At least for a while..._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did someone say DRAMA?? haha  
> Feedback is very much appreaciated ;)  
> We're almost at the end guys, so hold on tight and I'll see you in the next chapter!


	5. True love is never easy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This saga finally comes to an end!!  
> Hope you guys enjoy the last installment.

**3 YEARS LATER**

_Jaime was enjoying a lovely day out. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping. He was catching up on work while relaxing in a corner cafe. There was much of it these days as he finally decided to heed his father's calling and take a more permanent role in the family business._

_"Jaime? Jaime Lannister?" A familiar voice made him look up from his documents._

_"Pia? I can't believe it. You look beautiful." He kissed her cheek, before they shared a short embrace._

_His ex-girlfriend was glowing. She was radiating happiness which in turn made Jaime smile. "I've been meaning to call you, believe it or not. I'm pregnant!!"_

_"Congratulations, Pia! Please, sit." He gestured to the empty seat. "Who's the lucky guy?"_

_"Garlan Tyrell. Listen, we're having a little party this Sunday. I want you to come." She was already writing down her address._

_"Umm, I'll see if I can make it." It was good to see Pia, but their last encounter left a bitter taste in his mouth. He treated her terribly and Pia was too quick to forgive._

_"I really want you to make it. I want to make amends with anyone I ever hurt. And I figure it'll take about nine months, which is perfect timing." She giggled, snatching a bite of Jaime's bagel._

_"I was the one who fucked it up, P. You did nothing wrong." Jaime ran his hands through his, now shorter hair. "I never apologized."_

_"It takes two to tango, Jaime. The past is in the past." She smiled genuinely. "Besides your f_ _riend is gonna be there so you're bound to have fun."_

_"My friend?"_

_"Yeah, ~~Brienne Tarth~~? I remember you guys were close. She's a good friend of Garlan's family."_

_Fuck. Jaime hadn't dared to utter that name in over 3 years. Why did the gods want to punish him so? He thought he moved on, he barely ever thought about her. Then one mention of her name and he was yearning again. She was withing his grasp, so close yet so far._

_"I'll see you this Sunday, then." Maybe seeing ~~Brienne~~ was gonna help put the past where it belonged. Seeing her with Tormund was go_ _nna sting, but he's gone through worse, hasn't he? Besides...he still had one last gift for her._

_"Great! Bye-bye." Pia picked up her shopping bags and skipped down the street making Jaime smile involuntary._

_He was glad she found someone worthy of her. Now if only he could find someone worthy of him..._

* * *

"Dad, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Telling me the mystery-love story."

"Why?"

"What if I don't like who my mom is?" Tears were starting to gather in Joanna's eyes.

Jaime laughed at that. "Of course you'll like who your mom is. And you don't have to wait long to find out because the next Sunday—"

"It's Pia, isn't it? And you're not my father. No wonder you didn't want to be with her." The little girl was getting anxious.

Jaime shot Tyrion a look. Yes this was all his fault. "Take it easy, my little lion. It's just a story. And this one has a happy ending."

Joanna rolled her deep blue eyes. "How does it have a happy ending? You and my mom, whoever she is, you're getting divorced. What's the happy in that?!" She buried her face between the pillows.

Jaime closed his eyes briefly. "Why don't we take a break. I'll make you a nice cup of tea. Okay?"

"Okay..." Came a muffled response.

Before Tyrion and Jaime slipped out of the room Joanna lifted her head. "Dad? I love you."

"I love you too."

Once Jaime returned with a steaming cup of tea he found his daughter snuggled between the blankets and completely passed out. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before turning off the lights and leaving.

_**~*~*~*~*~** _

One would think what after staying up most of the night Joanna would be tired, but after a good night's rest she was as jovial as if it was Christmas morning. Her mom was supposed to be taking her to the Zoo today, plus she was almost absolutely sure she figured out who her mother was in the story even though it wasn't over yet.

"You're in a good mood." Jaime stated before handing her a pretzel from the street vendor.

"I think I discovered who my mom is in the love-mystery story." Her little blue eyes concentrated on the Park bench. She took her dad's arm and dragged him towards it.

Jaime smirked. "Really? Well, who is it?"

"Not telling. So the last time we saw Jaime Lannister, he had just discovered that the woman he truly loved was marrying another man."

Jaime leaned back on the bench. "I know. Shocking."

Joanna ignored her dad's sarcasm and continued "Meanwhile, he accepted an invitation to the home of his ex-girlfriend, Pia. By the way, if she turns out to be my mother, I'm running away to Canada." Jaime couldn't help, but laugh. "I'm not kidding." His daughter muttered before taking a huge bite of her pretzel.

* * *

_Jaime found himself standing in a beautiful, two-story family home in the suburbs on King's Landing. The place was beautifully furnished, like_ _something he used to see in high end magazines. Well, Garlan was Senator Ollena Tyrell's grandchild, so it shouldn't have been such a big surprise. Jaime was_ _awkwardly milling around other guests,_ _he had yet to see ~~Brienne~~. The package he held in his sweaty palms burned his skin. Would she appreciate the gesture,late as it was? The most ridiculous of scenarios were flashing in his mind: what if she showed up with Tormund? What if they brought their hypothetical children? 3 years is a long time, anything could've happened. Still, the need to see her beautiful eyes one last time was keeping Jaime from running to the exit._

_On his way to find the hostess and her boyfriend his gaze_ _caught a framed picture of a smiling man, Qyburn to be precise._

_"He died last year. In his office, heart attack." Pia startled him by appearing out of thin air._

_"I always imagined he'd make a more theatrical exist." He mused out loud. Qyburn was a strange man, seemed weird he went out in such a mundane way._

_"What they didn't say was that he was on the couch with the dean's daughter." Jaime's brows shot up, t_ _hat did seem more his forté._

_"I'm sorry. You must miss him." In their short time together Jaime remembered how dedicated she was to him, even after their split. They stayed good friends, but every_ _time Qyburn was parading some freshman Pia couldn't hide the hurt in her eyes._

_"I do." She sighed wistfully, before taking him by the arm. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Garlan."_

_Pia dragged Jaime all over the house before they finally found Garland having a chat in their backyard. With none other than ~~Brienne~~..._

_"Babe, ~~Brienne's~~ been telling me about this remote island for our honeymoon. She can hook us up, you know being a junior travel agent and all." Pia's boyfriend smiled the moment he laid eyes on her. He seemed completely besotted. Is that how Jaime looked when he was watching ~~Brienne~~?_

_She was standing behind Garlan, not that it did her any good if she was trying to hide. She was simply too tall. Her hair was shorter again, curled in delicate waves, she also seemed to be much more mature wearing a sophisticated navy blue dress that accentuated what curves she had._

_"Amazing! Honey, this is an old friend-Jaime Lannister." Two men shook hands, making each other's acquaintance. An awkward silence took over the garden as Jaime and ~~Brienne~~ couldn't take their eyes off each other._

_The hostess cleared her throat. "Let's go greet some other guests. These two should catch up." Pia sent a conspiratorial wink before quietly excusing herself and Garlan._

_"Jaime," ~~Brienne~~ looked like she was seeing a ghost._

_His gaze focused on her hands. No rings. That didn't mean much in the modern day age._ _" ~~Brienne~~ , you look great."_

_She rolled her sapphire eyes, she was never one for flattery. "This is a surprise."_

_"Pia insisted I come." He said instead of I' was dying to see you'. "How's married life treating you?"_

_She looked away. "We broke up before the I do's. An old friend pointed out that I was using him._ _'_ _No grand passion or desperate love to cloud my extremely sound judgement.' I think that phrase was uttered._ _I didn't listen at the time, but he was right."_

_"I never should have_ _said that. But you always did say marriage was overrated._ _" Jaime took a step closer. Se_ _eing her after so many years, he felt like he could breathe again._

_She smiled reluctantly_ _then, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Yeah, and you never listened to me. You were always the one with the rings..."_

_He finally remembered why he was there. "I have something for you." He gently offered the book._

_The moment ~~Brienne~~ opened the inner page of Jane Eyre her eyes got misty, it felt like she stopped breathing. "How...? I mean thank you so much! Where did you find it?" Tears were rolling down her cheeks._

_He closed his eyes for a brief second. "That's the difficult part to explain. I've had it for a while."_

_She seemed like someone slapped her across the face. This was her mother's. And he kept it from her?_ _"How long?"_

_"Years. Many years. I meant to give it to you, I tried to drop it off once, but then Sansa told me you got engaged and...there is no excuse. I'm sorry._ _" Jaime managed to whisper._

_"You could've just left it! Stop with the lies, Jaime. We've had too much of those between us for far too long." ~~Brienne's~~ eyes were blazing with anger._

_"I don't know..."_

_"Bullshit! Tell me the truth. For once tell me the goddamned truth."_

_Jaime's heart felt like exploding from his chest. She was right, of course. He could've mailed it to her, he could've left it with Sansa. But he never did. "I kept the book...because it was the only thing that I had left of you."_

_Before Jaime could say another word, ~~Brienne~~ strode towards him, catching his lips in an almost bruising kiss. For a guy who had kissed and been kissed plenty of times he had a pretty good assortment of types of kisses_— _the hot, steamy kind, the sweet, tender ones, the playful, teasing nips. None of them applied to the kind of crushing, desperate possession she was doing to his mouth. His toes literally curled as they lifted to give him a better advantage point, her lips continuing to determinedly assault his every conscious thought. Heat was shooting through Jaime's limbs, that came to life on their own, clutching ~~Brienne's~~ strong body as he gave himself up to the kiss._

_Then to his utter despair, she roughly tore her mouth away from his, only an inch or two that Jaime could totally go for it again, but she started saying something through ragged breaths."I love you. I'm completely and utterly in love with you, Jaime Lannister. Always have_ _been."_

_A pink blush had spread over her face. "Say it again." Jaime whispered his nose grazing her arched neck._

_"I love you." He placed his lips against her throbbing pulse. "I love you." He kissed both of her eyelids. "I love you." Then her red tinted cheeks._

_A big goofy grin spread over Jaime's face. "I love you too". Her smile matched his own. She ran her fingers through his hair, tucking a few loose strands behind his ear before his lips found her again._

* * *

Joanna jumped from the bench, her morning treat completely forgotten. "That's it!That's how I figured it out! That's what mom does when I'm upset. She tucks my hair behind my ear and tells me to be brilliant or shine like the sun and it always makes me feel better!"

"Sounds like a great mom." Jaime smiled, his gaze focusing on the woman coming their way.

"She is."

"So you're absolutely positive, a hundred percent sure that Adaline is the woman walking toward us right now?" He raised his brows.

His daughter looked behind her and saw her mother approaching, she turned back to her dad. "Absolutely! Is it?"

Jaime barely managed a quick nod before his daughter sprinted to his wife.

"Mom! Mom! I'm so glad it was you."

~~Brienne~~ furrowed her eyebrows, clearly confused. "Who else would it be?"

"Nobody." Joanna replied quickly, sharing a secret smile with Jaime.

"Good morning, Jaime." She looked more tired than usual. She was probably staying up late at work, she did that when something bothered her. She threw herself into work.

He smiled warmly, he missed her. "Hey, Brienne."

Joanna still clung to her mother. "Mom, can dad come with us to the zoo?"

She never had the heart to tell Joanna no. "Sure. If dad doesn't have any plans."

Jaime wasn't gonna miss a chance to spend time with his two favorite girls. "You know me, I love the zoo."

"Guess what, mom?"

"What?"

"We learned all about sexual intercourse at school yesterday." She took both of her parents hands as they continued to walk.

Brienne threw a pointed look at her husband. "Really?" He looked positively cringe worthy. "Really."

Joanna nodded, completely unaware of the awkwardness. "Yeah really."

_**~*~*~*~*~** _

The family of three was standing in front of a penguin exhibition. Joanna was fascinated by them. She never could understand how they were birds, but couldn't actually fly. Seemed like a cruel joke, but then her parents explained that they could swim instead.

She waved her delicate hand to the birds behind the glass. "I love penguins."

"Me too." Her mom smiled at Joanna.

Jaime added. "Me three."

"Did you know that penguins mate for life? Although, Ms.Tyrell told us that sometimes the husband and wife get separated because of their migraine patterns—"

Her parents shared a look. "Migratory." They said at the same time.

Joanna rolled her eyes before continuing "Whatever, sometimes they're apart for years, but they almost always find each other. Do you know what the husband and wife penguins do after they find each other after all that time? They throw their heads, flap their flippers and sing as loud as they can!" She started imitating what was supposed to be a penguin.

Her parents couldn't help but laugh at her poor performance. "Okay, munchkin. Why don't you walk around. We'll have to go soon." Brienne placed a quick kiss on her head before watching the 11 year old run away.

"My lawyers sent out the papers a few weeks ago. Catelyn hasn't mentioned you mailing them in yet." Her smile dimmed when her daughter was out of sight.

"I've been busy." Jaime kept staring at a family of penguins. His daughter was right they were prone to flap their flippers. "You know what? That's a fucking lie. I only forced myself to open them last night. And I have yet to force myself to sign it. Sorry for the inconvenience." He wasn't going to hide how bitter he was.

Was this really so easy for her? 13 years. 13 years they spent officially together. Not all of them good, but they still were hell of a lot better than having to live without her.

A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. "Jaime..."

"Do you still love me?" He focused on her face. Would he be able to tell if she decided to lie? After all these years he thought he could. But Brienne always managed to surprise him.

She scoffed, narrowing her eyes. "This is not the time or the place. You know it's complicated—"

Jaime unceremoniously cut her off. "Life's complicated. This isn't. It's a yes or a no question, Brienne. A question I neglected to ask when you asked me to move out."

"I will always love you, you know that. I just don't think I'm in love with you anymore." She couldn't meet Jaime's eyes, her fingers fidgeting with the strap of her purse. She never was a good liar.

A laugh bubbled out of his chest. "Bullshit" Brienne's mouth was hanging open. "So you just woke up one day, looked at me and thought 'Huh I'm not in love with him anymore' That's it?"

"Fine." She huffed. "You want the truth? I'm just as much in love with you as I was 13 years ago. But look around, Jaime. Look what that love has brought us." Her eyes reminded Jaime of a raging storm. So blue and all consuming.

"We constantly fight about the little things, we haven't had a real conversation in over 3 months, we subconsciously developed a routine where we don't have to see each other unless it's necessary and we...haven't been intimate in gods know how long. I'm tired...I'm tired to keep holding on to the past. It's time to admit we changed, we're different people." Brienne took her frustration out on the floor, she was staring daggers down her feet.

"We have I'm not denying that. But don't you want to get to know each other again? Discover what's the same and what's changed? All I know is that no matter how much we change or grow apart I will _never_ stop loving you." He laced their fingers together. "I'd rather have half a life with you than a full life with anyone else..." Jaime whispered before wiping a few tears that escaped Brienne's closed eyes.

She shook her head. An fight between her heart and her mind raging inside of her. This time self-preservation prevailed. "We should find Joanna."

Once again, she walked away from him...

**_~*~*~*~*~_ **

Jaime felt defeated but he put up a front for his daughter. "Hey, my precious lion, today was fun. I'll see you on Wednesday, okay?"

She nodded before hugging him tightly. "Thanks for telling me the story."

"You're welcome. Although, I forgot to tell you the happy ending."

Joanna held on even tighter. "What is it?"

Jaime crouched down to her level. "You, honey." Joanna was the best thing to happen in his life. Even if he'd known how it would end for him and Brienne he wouldn't have changed a thing.

"I love you, dad"

"I love you too! Go catch up to your mom." Jaime hugged her one last time before watching his daughter run to Brienne.

_**~*~*~*~*~** _

_I'd rather have half a life with you than a full life with anyone else..._

_I'd rather have half a life with you than a full life with anyone else..._

_I'd rather have half a life with you than a full life with anyone else..._

Jaime's words couldn't leave Brienne's headsince the moment he uttered them. She was nursing a glass of wine, staring at the midnight sky. All these years later she was still fascinated by the twinkling balls of gas. That's all the stars were, still she was fascinated all the same.

When they moved in together Jaime made sure their home included a terrace, just so she could indulge in her silly, little ritual. _Her_ safe place became _theirs_.

He proposed to her here.

She told him she was pregnant here.

They celebrated Joanna's first birthday here.

They were happy here...and then somewhere along the way they weren't. They were stuck in a rut.

They had a good life together. Most people searched their whole lives for a connection like that, only to never come across it. They were lucky. At least she had the happy memories, right?

A nagging voice in the back of her head whispered _Why can't you make new memories?_

Could they? Clearly, Jaime thought they could. But he was always the one ready to jump off a cliff while she...she clung to caution for the life of her. _Take a chance_ her heart whispered. While her mind urged her to protect herself from the heartbreak.

Their whole life flashed before her eyes: The first time they met, he didn't look down on her because of her looks. She felt safe instantly, safe enough to open up about her late mother. He encouraged her to live her dreams, he was supportive when she decided to roam around Westeros without any plans whatsoever. Her own father thought her crazy then, but not him. She remembered how she couldn't wait to receive letters from him in their long time apart. She remembered falling in love while corresponding. How crazy is that? She remembered the pain when he shared he was proposing to Pia, how she had to comfort him after their split. She also remembered how hard it was, so she set some boundaries, trying to preserve what was left of her heart. She remembered seeking comfort from Tormund, deep down knowing it would never be enough. She remembered the pure bliss and inevitable panic when he told her he loved her. She thought it a joke for a while, how could _he_ love _her_? But he did...She remembered being too proud and angry to reach out, accepting a proposal just to spite him. In the end, when the time was right they found each other again. She remembered their small wedding with friends and family, how incredibly happy she was. She remembered the smile on Jaime's face when Joanna finally learned to say 'dada', she remembered how every morning and night he'd shower her with gentle kisses. She remembered the feeling of absolute bliss anytime she looked into his emerald eyes.

Brienne knew she didn't want to give that up. She knew that if there was ever a possibility to feel like that again, it was only with her husband. She wiped the tears that were rolling down her cheeks, then quickly took out her phone dialing Tyrion's number.

She needed a babysitter.

**_~*~*~*~*~_ **

Jaime was staring at those bloody papers again. This time, however, his signature was staring right back at him. The whiskey he was sipping tasted bitter on his lips. But what could he do at this point? He had to respect Brienne's decision. Even though he wanted to shake or kiss her into submission, he wasn't really sure.

His office building was quiet, Jaime hated the quiet. It left him with nothing but his thoughts. Suddenly, he heard a soft knock on the door. Who did security let in at this ungodly hour?

His wife's profile graced his dimply lit office. "You're just on time. Did you sniff out I finally signed those papers?" He was in no mood to be cordial.

She barely arched her brow. "You're drinking more than you used to."

"I'm drinking more than I used to." He nodded before raising his glass in a mock toast to annoy her.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I've gotten so used to keeping myself at a safe distance from anyone who could hurt me. You are the last person I wanted to keep at arms length." She walked towards the windows, the night skyline drawing her in.

"It's alright. I've hurt you plenty. And old habits die hard. That's what makes them habits."

She turned to look at him, a corner of her mouth curled up. "Someone once asked me if there's ever been a guy that made me think: 'This is it. This is him. This is the one'."

Jaime gulped, his thoughts flashing back to that night. "And was there?"

She nodded. "There was." Brienne marched over to his desk, picked up the divorce papers and tore them in half. "There still is."

Without a second thought Jaime took Brienne's hand and dragged her onto his lap, her arms went around his neck instinctively, she leaned down to touch her forehead against his.

It was like coming home.

Jaime's hands gently grasped her jaw as he slowly brushed a featherlight kiss on the corner of her mouth. Brienne tilted her face toward him slightly so that their lips met for a fraction of a second—one that stretched on for an eternity—before she pulled back slightly to angle for a deeper kiss. She took his mouth for a proper, toe-curling kiss, his arms tightened on her waist, her tongue coaxing him to give back as good as he was getting.

They stayed in each other's arms for what felt like a lifetime.

"It’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna be really hard. We’re gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I love you. I want all of you, forever, you, me and Joanna, every day." He breathed out the words in a rush, his hands stroking her back.

"I want that too." She whispered before nuzzling his chest.

They knew that as long as they were together they could overcome anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone for reading this story.   
> I had loads of fun while working on it because I love the movie so much and because it's Jaime and Brienne lol  
> Anyway, your thoughts are always welcome.   
> Thanks again on going on this mini journey with me :)

**Author's Note:**

> I've already finished the story in it's entirety. So the updates are gonna be very frequent. The story won't be long, only 5 chapters. A chapter every day is the plan.  
> So, those who like the story won't have to wait long for an update. (I know how hard that can be haha)


End file.
